Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen remains in doubt for Round 1 clash with West Coast

NEW Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen remains in doubt for the Round 1 clash with West Coast on Sunday afternoon.

Griffen is managing back tightness and could only walk laps while his teammates trained on Tuesday morning.

Coach Brendan McCartney insists his star on-baller is “very, very close to playing” and reports Griffen’s fitness is making daily progress, however the three hour flight to Perth is likely to do his back no favours.

McCartney said he will need to train without experiencing pain to be selected.

On a brighter note, Robert Murphy has recovered from a serious elbow injury and will play his 250th AFL game against the Eagles.

Murphy sustained a ligament injury to his right elbow in early February and narrowly avoided surgery.

Murphy played in a intra-club match last week, guaranteeing his spot on the flight west.

“He’s just a brilliant person to coach and if you’re a young player in the club, then you’re quite blessed to have people of his calibre around you to learn from and want to emulate,” McCartney said.

“We’re thrilled to bits that he’s made it back and dodged a bit of a bullet with the injury, so it’ll be nice to have him out there.”

News_Rich_Media: Western Bulldogs veteran Robert Murphy says he can't wait to see Luke Dahlhaus and Tom Liberatore stamp their authority on the AFL competition in years to come.McCartney says his sides pre-season form has been “solid, without being earth-shattering” and admits the trip west with a young side is always challenging, especially against an Eagles team who look to be back to its 2012 form.

“They’ve clearly ticked all the boxes in the pre-season and they’ll be hard work, but we’re really looking forward to getting on a plane and going to play a good game of footy.”

News_Image_File: Jackson Macrae kicks at goal. Picture Michael Klein.Two players McCartney will need firing if the Bulldogs are going to claim the four points is Shaun Higgins and Jackson Macrae.

Higgins is finally injury free and has showed promising signs playing off half-back during the NAB Challenge, while Macrae — entering his second season — averaged 29 disposals in the pre-season.

McCartney expects Higgins to play through all areas of the ground this season, praising his flexibility as a player and Macrae has proved he is ready to take the next step, despite still learning the finer points of his game.

“He’s a high talent with still lots to work on and he’s making really good progressions,” McCartney said of McCrae.

News_Image_File: Jarrod Grant rides the scooter as part of his rehab at training. Picture Michael Klein.